Sydney-headquartered developer Atmos Renewables and Perth-based partner Nomad Energy have officially commenced construction of the 100 MW / 400 MWh Merredin Big Battery being built in Western Australia’s (WA) Wheatbelt region.
The battery energy storage system is being constructed on a four-hectare site near the town of Merredin and adjacent to Sun Energy’s existing 100 MW Merredin Solar Farm, about 260 kilometres east of state capital Perth.
Positioned alongside the 650 km Muja to Kalgoorlie 220 kV transmission line, the battery will connect to the state’s main grid, the South West Interconnected System (SWIS), via Western Power’s nearby Merredin Terminal Station.
WA Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the battery will provide grid network support and enhance the security of supply in the SWIS and state’s Wholesale Electricity Market as the energy transition continues.
“Grid-scale batteries play an important role in our clean energy transition, storing excess energy during the day and discharging it at night, helping to stabilise and strengthen our electricity grid,” she said.
“The Merredin Big Battery will add to our energy armoury, which includes state-owned batteries in Kwinana and Collie, and the Neoen battery also in Collie.”
Since 2023 almost 500 MW of battery energy storage has begun operating in the SWIS with a further 728 MW of committed storage expected to become operational in 2025-2026.
“Together with new transmission lines, wind, solar, and gas generation where needed, they are important elements of the energy grid of the future,” Sanderson said.
Perth-based construction firm GenusPlus has been appointed to oversee the design, procurement, installation and civil works for the project. Construction phase is expected to take up to 18 months with commissioning anticipated in late 2026. The project is expected to generate up to 70 jobs during peak construction.
It is one of four big battery projects that won the first storage tender in WA under the federal government’s Capacity Investment Scheme.
The winners, announced in March, also include PGS Energy’s 324 MW / 1,200 MWh Boddington Giga Battery, that will be paired with a solar farm, Neoen’s 150 MW / 615 MWh Mulchea battery, and Frontier Energy’s 80 MW / 380 MWh Waroona project.
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